Crayons for the new millenium?Do you remember when we were children and they had only one crayon to denote flesh colour? Well, it appears that all of that has changed now. We can now provide children with a box of crayons that reflects the myriad of different skintones so that they can draw pictures that are more true to life. The only non-flesh colours in the box are a red (for lips) and blue (that rogue eye colour).
It never ceases to amaze me that there are some really clever marketing tools in this world but I suppose that this one actually might have a good reason. I mean, how sad could it have been to be a child that has a skintone other than the one in the crayon box?
I didn't have much time to take a look at the actual colour names but wonder if all of these colours weren't already in the standard boxes. Maybe they have different names for the colours in the multicultural package but I suppose that it was always unfair to call that lone peach-coloured crayon "flesh". Could it have caused insecurity in nonpeach-coloured children way back when I was a child? And, does this multicultural package make all children feel equally represented in regards to crayons?
Or, maybe I'm just overthinking this whole thing. Could kids just be kids and not spend much time thinking about it?
6 Comments:
I actually spent quite awhile thinking about it when I was a kid and remember pretty well trying to mix the peachy one with white and yellow to make it look more real, never really got it right though.
Have to admitt to having faced the same conundrum as Hildur, however I find this far fetched ;-)
I just wonder what the colours are called... "Cracker White"? "Yellow Peril"? I really hope they aren't just using this to teach our kids racial slurs.
I've come to the conclusion that we ALL kinda look the same really! :-)
fun idea!
I'll tell you from experience that these crayons and paints have been on the market for at least a decade and used in schools and daycares.
Most children use them just like any other colour.
I haven't seen too many use them for skin colour unless you tell them to.
We're the ones who see skin colour.
Children only see colour, that's why sometimes they'll colour themselves green or blue or yellow because they like that colour.
This whole push to point out differences in skin colour serves to make skin colour an issue when it shouldn't be.
It's the adults who need to do this to make themselves feel like they're doing something to change feelings of fear and racism.
The problem is that it's not in crayons or paint, it's in your heart.
Children don't need multicultural crayons to separate them more than their parents attitudes do already.
Children are adaptable and accepting when left to their own feelings.
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